Are “hot Jupiter” planets habitable?
These planets are thought to be like Jupiter, made of gas. So there is likely no solid surface where life could take hold. Furthermore, the temperature swings on this planet are extreme. Liquid water is a requirement for life as we know it and this specifies a particular range in temperature, somewhere between freezing and boiling. Gas moving across the atmosphere may pass through regions with the appropriate temperature range, but it will also cycle through temperatures where liquid water cannot exist. As a result, there is no location on any hot Jupiter planet where water can exist in liquid form for a long period of time. One can speculate about exotic forms of life that don’t require liquid water, but we won’t!
